Seance
A seance is an occult ritual used by two or more people, as a means for establishing a line of communication with the deceased. Nearly all séances are conducted by way of an orchestrator known as a "medium," but this is hardly a necessity and many séances have been successfully led by amateur occultists or those with no predisposition to the supernatural whatsoever. In one instance, Roger Collins conducted an (albeit unsuccessful) séance at the Old House in the hopes of channelling the ghost of Barnabas Collins. Being immortal, Barnabas was physically present during the séance, posing as his own descendant. Knowing that the ritual might hinder his cover story, Barnabas deliberately disrupted Roger's efforts to summon the "ghost" of Barnabas Collins. Traditionally, a medium and a group of willing attendees form a circle around a table or other similar surface, and join hands with one another. Holding hands creates a spiritual circuit, which helps to strengthen the possibility of successful communication. Breaking the circle under any condition can lead to unexpected and sometimes disastrous results. Other affects can be applied to help channel spirits, including the lighting of candles. Once the circuit is established, the medium will speak aloud the name of the spirit they wish to commune with. If the spirit is willing, they will use the medium as a physical host body, and speak through them. This process (often referred to as "channelling") is not dissimilar to that used by practitioners of voodoo, such as Angelique. Although a spirit will commonly use the medium as its host, this is not always the case. There have been several documented accounts where a spirit will channel their energy through the bodies of other séance attendees. Victoria Winters and Carolyn Stoddard have both acted as host forms for a spirit even though neither woman acted as the medium during their respective séances. Depending upon its strength of will, a conjured spirit can execute a wide variety of effects, in addition to channelling a proxy host. Some ghosts (commonly referred to as Poltergeists) will physically interact with their surroundings, creating sudden gusts of wind, causing windows to fly open, doors to slam shut and lights to flicker on and off. One of the most unconventional side effects of a séance is time travel. In 1967, members of the Collins family (as well as Victoria Winters) conducted a séance in the hopes of communing with the spirit of an 18th century girl named Sarah Collins. After a brief interaction with Sarah's ghost, Victoria Winters found herself physically transported back in time to the year 1795. Simultaneously, a woman from that same year, Phyllis Wicke (who had not been otherwise engaged in a séance), found herself pulled forward in time to the year 1967, where she died under mysterious circumstances only moments later. Although it is possible for a medium to establish a line of communication with the dead without the aid of others, this practice is largely discouraged and does not follow the proper tenants of a true séance. Unwary mediums attempting to summon a spirit without the aid of others often find themselves the victims of possession. See also * Ghost * I Ching Category:Time Travel